David Warbuton MP writes:

I'm proud to support the courageous people of our armed forces, who work year-round to keep us safe and, over the past year, have also provided vital support to frontline healthcare teams against the threat of the pandemic.

In peacetime, it's all too easy to forget just how big a debt of gratitude we owe to our service personnel and veterans and Armed Forces Day serves as a fitting reminder.

Of course, Rome wasn't built in a day and the professionalism and skill of our military personnel is the culmination of years of training, much of which takes place in nearby Warminster. Achieving resilience is an iterative, slow-burn project that requires foresight, planning and vision.

As with the military, this is certainly true when it comes to the local economy and the future prosperity of Somerset. Without connectivity investments now, we cannot pass on economic resilience and prosperity to future generations in Somerset. This is why I spoke in Parliament the other day, making the case for levelling-up support in Somerton and Frome to sort out our broadband, dual the A303 and improve rail connectivity.

It's vital that Somerset's economic priorities are vocalised, so I metwith the Chancellor, Rishi Sunak, last week. I made the case for those who have been excluded from coronavirus support and the self-employed, as well as highlighting the importance of the Universal Credit uplift. I also discussed the foreign aid cut and music festival insurance.All in all, it was a very helpful meeting and one which I hope will prove productive in the coming weeks.

The economy is important, of course, but one of the many tragedies of the pandemic is that people's hobbies and passions have had to be put on hold. Amateur choirs have been particularly badly impacted, so I wrote to the Prime Minster to ask for restrictions on choirs to be eased. After months of being denied the chance to sing together through successive lockdowns, in effect, these continued restrictions prevent most choirs from practising or performing at all.

As a musician myself, I know very well how much joy music brings to people's lives. Music, and the arts more broadly, provide a significant boost to mental health and wellbeing, and also offer a welcome opportunity to socialise. With this in mind, I've also put forward a cross-party Early Day Motion in Parliament calling for more support for the entire music industry. Venues like the Cheese and Grain and festivals like Sunrise Celebration and Farmfest bring so much vibrancy to our beautiful corner of the world, and I'm determined to ensure that the Frome music scene remains as strong a part of our unique and creative community as it's ever been.

The diversity of battles and campaigns is as eclectic as the diversity of the people of the wider Frome area, with so much promise and potential to unleash. But we must have the tools we need. The South West mustn't be left behind.